What if your car could drive itself?

Mercedes-Benz is leading the way in conceptualising self-driving cars. Now, that would be real luxury to sit back and let your car take on the traffic!

Interiors of F 015 Luxury in Motion

This is not very good news for chauffeurs, whereas it’s an incredible proposition for all of us tired of the stress of driving, or worse shuffling between the clutch and brake as we head home in never-ending traffic jams. The good people at Mercedes-Benz have launched the self-driving luxury sedan F 015 Luxury in Motion at the ongoing International Consumer Electronics Show 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This concept self-driving car has lounge-like interiors and offers a peek into the future where cars could change from a means of transportation to a private retreating space. The four lounge chairs of F015 rotate to allow a face-to-face seat configuration allowing all passengers to chit chat and relax or wrap their work while the car does the driving. When the doors of the cars open, the electrically powered seats swing outwards by 30 degrees to help the passenger step out.

“The single most important luxury goods of the 21st century are private space and time,” said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Autonomously driving cars by Mercedes-Benz shall offer exactly that. With the F 015 Luxury in Motion, this revolutionary concept of mobility becomes tangible for the first time.”

A key aspect of this self-driving car is the continuous exchange of information between vehicle, passengers and the outside world, which is made possible by six display screens integrated into the instrument panel, and the rear and side panels. Using this digital arena, passengers will be able to interact intuitively with the connected vehicle through gestures, eye-tracking or by touching the high-resolution screens. The laser projection and LED displays of F 015 Luxury in Motion establish contact with the outside world and will be a real social partner in traffic.

Dr. Zetsche said, “Two years ago, with the S 500 INTELLIGENT DRIVE we showed on the historical route Bertha-Benz took in 1888 that we have the technology which makes autonomous driving reality in everyday traffic. We have a master plan in place to take the big leap required getting from technically feasible to commercially viable. The F 015 Luxury in Motion demonstrates where this may take us.”

Take a look at the F 015 Luxury in Motion in the slideshow below. Mercedes-Benz has presented a rather fantastic car; let’s hope they’re able to make this vision a reality on the roads soon.

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